A Story of Solitude
by Rida-chou Leyde
Summary: "Hey Nice? How come your name's Nice?" A flashback to the past. 217 waved goodbye. "Eh? That's not a name. Why don't I call you Nice then? You look nice." Nice. That word again. That's his name now.


Hamatora Fanfiction

"Hey, Nice. How come your name's Nice? It's a bit odd, right?" Birthday nonchalantly asked the brunette at the counter. Honey glared. "Like any of us can talk. The only Japanese names in this café are Murasaki, Hajime and Koneko. Nice, Art, Birthday, Ratio, Three or Honey doesn't really count as Japanese, right?"

"Nah, Honey. It's just that Nice is an adjective, ya know!" Birthday defended himself, still trying to pry the truth out of Nice. Ratio sighed and turned to face the brunette. "I am curious as well. Are you willing to share it with us?"

Nice shrugged and nodded. "Why not? Gather around then!"

* * *

Nice cleared his throat. "Uh… Nice isn't my real name, obviously. It's 217." He raised his eyebrows, confused, as he looked at the bemused and disbelieving faces of the others. Theo and Rei were there too, listening in. "What?"

"That's your Facultas registration number, you idiot. What's your real name?" Murasaki asked impatiently, irritated. Nice stared at him. "Ah. I don't have one." Art's eyes widened. "Wait, Nice. So 217 is really your name before Skill went and called you Nice?"

Birthday waved his hands. "Woah, woah. So you mean to say your little brother was the one who named him Nice? Wait, why's your name Art? Skill?" Art shrugged. "Those are just nicknames. We changed our names to forget our parents who left us. Isn't that the case with Ratio and Birthday too?" Ratio nodded. "True…"

Theo then turned to Nice. "Why don't you have a name?" Nice looked at the floor, showing slight signs of uneasiness. "I… never had one. From the time I was born, I never had a name. Or it's more like my name is totally forgotten." "Since when?" Three interjected.

"… Since they realised I'm not normal."

* * *

"…-kun! Clap your hands and run towards Papa!" The adorable toddler smiled brightly, a brunette hardly 5 years old. It was a holiday, and his parents were playing with him.

They were playing a new game now. Just now, it was hide-and-seek. Before that, it was noughts-and-crosses. They were having so much fun, and the boy was smiling so happily the air seemed to sparkle.

"Yes, Papa! Here I come!" A clapping sound rang sharply, resounding around the household's lawn. It struck the boy's parents with shock.

"Papa, I'm here!" "…-kun?!" His mother exclaimed. "Yes, Mama?" "How did you get here so fast?! I swear you were around 5 meters away just now!" The brunette cocked his head. "Should I do it again?" His father nodded.

Again, that sharp crack resounded. "Papa, Mama, I'm here!" The boy's parents fell to the ground in shock. What is this irregularity?!

For the boy was already on the other side of the lawn.

* * *

"You're not normal! I can't have a normal life anymore!" What the boy used to know as his mother, screamed at him and beat him. _What did I do? What should I do?_

When the boy's mother left for work the next day, the boy picked up a magazine. On its cover, in bright colours were the words 'BE NICE, EVEN THOUGH YOU DON'T RECEIVE IT!' The boy stared. _Nice... Is 'Mama' nice? 'Papa'?_

The boy stared at the colours longer, before his face broke into a bittersweet smile. _Then... I'll be nice then. I hope I survive. _He clutched the yellow headphones he got for his 4th birthday.

Since that day, every time the boy's parents abused him, threatened to kill him, harassed him, hurt him, the boy did nothing but smile. This seemed to infuriate his parents though, and the boy quickly learned to use his 'power' to escape sometimes.

Yet there were not many places to escape to though. It's just a simple house. Not an abnormal thing like the boy.

* * *

One day, his 'Papa' called him into the living room. What an oddity. He's not used to this kind of nice treatment.

When he went inside, there were two strangers in white coats. _Who are they? _"Boy, these are researchers from Minimum Agency." The boy cocked his head.

His parents were beaming. The strangers were beaming. The boy clutched his headphones nervously. "Boy, it seems you have a special power called a Minimum. They're going to take you away."

The boy, confused, nodded mutely.

"What's his name?"

"We don't know anymore. It's up to you people."

"Understood."

The stranger with spectacles came to the boy. "Then we'll just call you Specimen 217. Come here, 217." The boy followed.

The short stranger then bowed to his parents. "Thank you for your confidence. Come along, 217-kun."

As he walked behind the strangers, the boy, no, 217 looked at his parents. They were smiling, _finally_, smiling so happily.

He couldn't help it. 217 waved goodbye.

* * *

So he's a genius? Figures. Then why is everyone avoiding him?

Yet one day changed everything. That white-haired boy came up to him in the cafeteria. "What's your name?" 217 looked at the boy. Softly, he says, "217."

"Eh? That's not a name. Why don't I call you Nice then? You look nice."

_Nice._ That word again. That's his name now.

"Thank you." Tears fall, yet he smiled.

* * *

The silence in the cafe was heavy. Nobody would have guessed that the carefree Nice-kun, such a broke PI, had that kind of past.

"... Nice, I'm sorry for bringing up that topic." Birthday looked chagrined, ashamed. The others were sombre, waiting for some kind of explosion.

Yet nothing happened. Nice just chuckled and shrugged. "I don't care anymore. You guys are my family now, ya know."

Just like that, the tension dissipated.

In a split second, everyone saw a young boy, a brunette, with yellow headphones, smiling happily at them.

The atmosphere turned warm.

* * *

**A/N : I love this anime. NICE, MARRY ME~**

**Anyway, do leave a review. I love you all!**


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